Your Love, My Heart
by Camryn-is-my-Heart
Summary: What happens when, instead of keeping Edward's secret about the car accident, Bella refuses to lie? First two chapters start out slow. A little OOC. First story. Rated T just in case. Chapter 7 now up! Lunch with Edward and... dinner with Alice?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Your Lie, My Life

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

"Bella, you have a visitor." A nurse in a simple white gown popped her head into my room, looking for me. Her kind blue eyes scanned the room quickly, a strand of soft brown hair falling over her shoulder as she turned.

She found me sitting on my bland cream-colored sofa, staring ahead of me at the bland cream-colored wall that held nothing but a 32 inch flat screen t.v. A game show was currently flashing across the screen, but if she'd asked me, I couldn't have told her what it was.

She frowned slightly, picking up on my vacant mood without entering my living space. This didn't surprise me. My mood had not altered since the end of my first week here. I moved ghost-like from one day to the next, never noticing when the sparkling sunlight faded to the shimmering light of the moon. Sleep was probably the only time my features showed any emotion, the visions that haunted my sleep inescapable.

"Should I ask him to come back later?" she asked me, trying to sound polite. Her frown deepened; I could feel the worry coming off of her in waves. This too, did not surprise me. Everyone worried about me, tip-toed around me, fretted over me. They all told me the same things, pleaded with me, begged, but I refused to listen to them. Lies, all lies.

Before I could reply with my generic, monotone 'no', however, a new voice interrupted. "I really need to see her," this new voice said firmly. "It's important. Just a few minutes, please." Not a request.

I jumped up from my couch so fast, the room swayed around me for a moment. When was the last time I'd eaten, I wondered fleetingly. I did not let this deter me, however, as I turned to glare at the man who now entered the room, pushing politely but firmly past the nurse.

"How dare you come here?" I hissed at him. I vaguely noticed the nurse jump at my abrupt mood change, glancing worriedly at my face, then at the beautiful god-like creature now standing just a few feet from me. Obviously worried that she'd done something wrong by letting him in, she raced from the room, calling out for my doctor.

I ignored this for the moment, knowing that I now only had a few minutes before the medicines were brought to find out what Edward Cullen was doing here, standing before me in my tiny living space, a deep look of concentration pinching his perfect features into a frown.

As I wished with all my might that he would drop from the face of the planet into a pit of fire so hot, he turned to ash before the flame even touched him, he looked up into my eyes and said, "Bella…"

It took all my willpower not to flinch, hearing the concern he had no right to feel toward me, the pain he felt at my '_situation'_. A situation I wouldn't even be in if it weren't for him…

His features twisted, and I reminded myself that it wasn't real. None of it was. Just another lie, concocted for the sole purpose of keeping me here, away from my family and friends, away from everything I know and love. Away from him…

"Bella," he said again, holding his hand out hesitantly, as if to touch me. I drew back, flinching at the action I had once fantasized over. He dropped his hand and took a step back, putting another couple feet between us. "You know what you have to do, Bella," he continued in a colder voice. He took a deep breath, then added almost pleadingly, "You could have been out of here almost two months ago. All it takes is the truth. Just tell them what really happened, and you're free."

"What truth, Edward?" I hissed at him. "Your truth, or the real truth?"

"Bella," he began in that amazingly convincing voice of his, and I tuned him out. I knew it was pointless. He wasn't backing down, and I wasn't giving in. They could give me all the medicines they wanted to. I know what I saw, and I refused to lie about it. No matter the cost to me.

"Please, Bella. Why can't you just see what really happened? Don't you want to go home? Back to your friends, your family? Don't you want to see Charlie and Renee? Outside of this…?" He waved his hand around, indicating my tiny living room with the little bedroom and bathroom suite off to the right of the couch through a small, arched doorway.

I winced. I did want that. More than anything, I wanted to sleep in my own bed, talk to mom and dad outside of this monitored home, see my friends from school _at _school. I couldn't contain a sharp bark of laughter as I realized I would be more than happy cooking dinner for Charlie again.

Edward cocked his head to the side, looking confused and frustrated as he stared at me intently. After a moment's deliberation, he decided to continue as if uninterrupted. "Please, Bella. Think about how your parents must be feeling, seeing their only child in this place. You can make all that pain go away, just by telling the truth."

"And how does _the truth_ help you, Edward," I practically growled at him. Anguish washed over me at the thought of my parents in pain, but there was nothing I could do about that right now. I had made my decision, and I wouldn't back down now. I couldn't. Not after fighting for so long…

Edward frowned, then said slowly, carefully, "The truth would allow you and me the opportunity to be…friends..." He glanced up at me as he said this.

I inhaled sharply. Friends? My mind scattered as I looked into his honey-colored eyes, searching for any trace of another lie. He seemed uncomfortable with my scrutiny, but he didn't look away. I realized I was holding my breath, and exhaled softly as I also realized that he was telling the truth. Abruptly, I sat back down on my little couch, my mind working in overdrive.

If I told this one lie, I could possibly be friends with Edward. But did I still want to _be_ friends with him? He is the whole reason I was here in the first place. The last two months of my life have been spent hating him. Could I really just turn around and be his friend?

And could I really lie to everyone? It would most certainly make everyone happy. I would get to go home, go back to school, be Edward's friend… I frowned. And then what? Just forget what I saw? What I know happened?

I thought back to that fateful day almost two months ago. Edward across the parking lot, staring at me. The blue van, spinning out of control, a monster of metal barreling across the icy parking lot to claim my life. Then Edward again, this time pulling me out of the way, not once, but twice as the van tried in vain to kill me. The hand imprints in the van's body…

No one had believed me, of course. Edward had lied about it, told everyone that I'd hit my head, which was true, but still… He made me out to be delusional, and everyone readily believed him. Edward seemed to have the ability to get whatever he wanted with just a few silky words and a smile.

I looked at him, out of the corner of my eye, debating with himself as to whether he should sit or not, whether he should interrupt my internal struggle. I didn't help him out. He most definitely didn't deserve to be comfortable in my presence.

A few more moments, and I could hear the nurse from before hurrying down the hallway to my room, breathlessly explaining to the doctor what she had seen; the beautiful god-like man and my reaction to him.

I looked at Edward and spoke quickly. "Make him go away, Edward, and I'll consider it. There are a few things we need to talk about first. A few questions that require answers before I will lie for you."

Edward frowned, but before he could think too deeply or say anything, the doctor walked in.

Read and Review, please! And any thoughts or suggestions would be awesome!!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Your Game, My Rules

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

I hope you guys like this. I'm really trying to keep them in character for the situations… Please let me know what you think! Any advice or helpful criticism would be great! Enjoy!

).O.(

"Hello, Bella," Dr. Cullen said calmly. He glanced at Edward for just a moment, then added, "Is everything okay? Nurse Green seemed to think you needed me."

"I'm fine," I mumbled, staring at the wall again. I waited patiently for Edward to make his decision. There were only two outcomes to this game of his. He tells me everything in exchange for telling his lie, or he leaves me here without answers, to get my shots and live a half life for the rest of my existence.

A sudden thought made me frown and glance at Edward more suspiciously. Why did he want me out in the first place? His secret was safe with me locked up here. Why not just leave me? I sighed slightly, resigning myself to the fact that this was just another question I wouldn't get an answer to. I already knew what his answer would be.

Nurse Green seemed at a loss for words, glancing between me on the couch, and Edward standing in the middle of the room. My anger had cooled, leaving in its place a dull throbbing pain. I refused to think about how that pain would amplify when Edward gave his answer.

"I-I'm sorry, Dr. Cullen," she stammered. "When he came in, she was so angry, I-I thought…" She let her voice trail off, giving me an apologetic look.

I sighed again. I really couldn't blame her for being so worried. My first week here was a literal hell, the pain and betrayal I felt as I was told this was for the best, not just by doctors, but by my own family. The staff probably kept _calming _medicines at the ready just in case something like that first week ever happened again.

"It's alright, Nurse Green." Dr. Cullen came over to me, checked my pulse and took my blood pressure, then mumbled so softly I almost didn't hear, "I think a half dose wouldn't be a bad idea…" He was already digging through one of his lab coat pockets for the small syringe that would leave my mind feeling muddled, foggy.

I held out my arm, knowing I'd get a full dose if I fought. I wasn't ready to go back to that drug-induced sleep. It left me disoriented and nauseous when I finally woke up.

I glanced up at Edward. He was looking at me, but didn't seem to see me. His features were pained, as if torn between the idea of getting what he wanted from me, and having to give me what I wanted from him. Well, maybe next time… If he came back again.

I watched as Dr. Cullen finally pulled the right needle from his pocket, along with some antibacterial stuff and a band-aid. He cleaned a small area of my upper arm, then pushed all the air out of the needle.

"You'll feel just a slight pinch," he said kindly, and I turned away. As often as this happened, I still couldn't watch. There was always a little trickle of blood when he pulled the needle back out, and it never failed to make the room spin.

"Wait."

Dr. Cullen and I both froze, then turned to look at Edward at the same time. It would have been comical if I wasn't suddenly so hopeful.

"Let me talk to her, Dad," he said, watching me. "Just for a few more minutes." He turned and looked at his father briefly, adding, "I'll come get you when I'm done."

I could see out of my peripheral vision that Dr. Cullen was debating, a slight frown on his face. He glanced up at Edward, and after a moment, Edward shook his head very slightly. Dr. Cullen hesitated a moment more, then stood back up, putting everything back into its correct pocket as he turned to leave. He lightly touched Nurse Green's shoulder, drawing her along with him.

When they had shut the door, Edward let out a sharp breath, then sat down at the other end of the couch and turned to face me. His features were overly smooth, making me wonder what he was trying to hide. Or what he might lie to me about…

"I won't promise answers," he started, calmly watching me, "but I will listen to your questions."

So he wasn't going to help me… My hope dwindled, but didn't completely leave as I realized he hadn't actually decided yet. Depending on my questions, I might still get out of here. Then I laughed. Yeah, right. I already knew he wouldn't answer the questions I really wanted answers to. I might get a few easy ones out of him, but how did he get to me so fast? How did he stop the van? I'd never know.

"This is pointless, Edward," I said bitterly. "We both know you aren't going to tell me what I want to know, so why go through this charade? It's just going to end with me getting the meds and you leaving. Why not just skip to the end and be done with it?"

Edward cocked his head to the side again and asked softly, "Do you want me to leave?"

My eyes shot to his, startled by the question. No, I thought immediately. I frowned and looked away again, feeling the angry rush of blood to my cheeks. My body's reaction to him would never change, I realized. Two months in this hell-hole, not seeing him the whole time, and all he has to do is look at me with those honey-colored eyes… I frowned deeper, trying to shift my thoughts to something more relevant.

"Why do you want me out?" I blurted, surprising myself with the question.

Edward frowned. "I don't understand… Why wouldn't I want you out?"

"You're not family, you're not even a friend," I said. "Everyone thinks I'm crazy, that I hit my head too hard and it's messed me up. You don't have to worry about anything I might say while I'm in here. So, why do you want me out so bad?"

Edward sighed, looking away from me. His eyebrows came down together, and the slight frown made me want to touch his face, smooth all the wrinkles away, try and make him happy again… This is not what I need right now. I tucked my hands under my legs for good measure, then tried my best to glare at him as I waited to see if he'd answer me.

"Because of me, Bella, you are stuck here, away from your home, your family, your friends. I don't want you to lose all of that because of me." He looked back at me, anguish evident in every line marring his beautiful face.

He feels guilty, I realized with a start. I'm the one refusing to lie, and he feels like this is his fault.

"Edward, all I need are a few answers." I watched him carefully as I continued. "I will tell your lie _and_ keep your secrets, but you have to tell me first."

He sat perfectly still for a moment, not seeming to see anything, then exhaled sharply, glaring at me. "Why do you have to be so difficult? Isn't it hard?"

I stared in shock, then giggled at the absurdity of the question. "No, it's not hard," I replied when I could talk. "Not when I know what I want."

Edward sighed again, but smiled, too. "Bella, if I could tell you, I would. I promise. But I can't. Please believe me when I say I'm truly sorry that I can't tell you what you need to know." He looked at me earnestly, trying to convey the depth of his emotions through his eyes alone.

I stared, caught in his gaze, and almost didn't hear what he said. Almost…

"But, I won't tell," I replied, just as earnestly, scooting closer to him on the couch, unconsciously leaning towards him. "Please, Edward. It's going to drive me insane not knowing…"

He smiled wickedly, looking around at my little living room. "At least you know you'll be well taken care of. And I swear you'll have the best doctor money can buy."

I glared at him. "You do hate me, don't you?" I hissed, turning away as angry tears rushed to my eyes. His eyes flicked back to me quickly as I added, "You should have just let that van kill me. It would have saved you the trouble and the pain of all this."

I heard him inhale sharply, and then say in an even sharper tone, "Don't ever say that again, Bella. Do you hear me?"

"Why?" I was very nearly shouting at him in my anger. "It's true, isn't it? You saved my life, just to put me here. Because of you, I can't see my family, my friends, I can't go to school…" I broke off on a sob. Don't cry, Bella. You are to blame just as much as he. All you have to do is lie…

"Bella," Edward moaned quietly. "Please, look at me."

I looked up unwillingly. I nearly jumped at how close he was. His face was just inches from mine, his eyes boring so deeply into me that I felt he could see my soul.

Edward stared for several very long moments, and I didn't move. I stayed perfectly still, letting him search for whatever it was he hoped to find. He finally pulled back slightly and whispered, "You don't want to know what I am." He stood up and turned to leave. At the door, he half turned and added, "Carlisle will be in shortly."

Tears streamed slowly down my cheeks as he left, pulling the door softly shut behind him. I didn't move, didn't stop staring at the door, the scene of him leaving playing over and over in my head, like a skipping record.

I still hadn't moved when Dr. Cullen came back in just a few minutes later. The tears were still streaming down my face, but I made no move to stop them, no move to wipe them away.

"Bella," Dr. Cullen started softly. "Edward is only trying to protect you. If word gets out to certain people about what he did…"

I glared up at him then, letting him see the pain I usually hid so well. "Protect me, Dr. Cullen? What is it, exactly, that he's trying to protect me from? Because I fail to see how this," I waved my hands around me wildly, "is protecting me from anything."

Dr. Cullen's lips tightened into a thin line as he thought hard for a moment, then he said, just as softly as before, "He's trying to protect you from himself."

Before I could fully take this in, I felt a smart prick in my upper arm, and knew without looking that another drug was being placed in my veins. My head was already feeling woozy, indicating a full dose.

"Why?" I asked groggily. I forced my eyes to look up at him, forced them to stay open for just a little bit longer.

He looked surprised, but answered, what I hoped, as my perception was already off, was the truth. "He's drawn to you Bella, and that's dangerous. Go to sleep. Things will look better when you wake up. I promise."

My eyes were already drifting shut as he picked me up and carried me to my bed, laying me down gently and pulling the blankets up to my neck.

As I slipped into unconsciousness, my mind had one last thought. If word got out to certain people…?

So? Was it good? Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Your Move, My Surprise

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Wow, only 6 reviews total… Is it really that bad? Should I take it down? Please let me know what I can do to fix it, or if I should take it down. …please?

).O.(

I sat up with a start, looking around me in confusion. My mind was filled with images of a strange being sparkling beautifully in the sunlight, like an angel. Sharp fangs protruding from the sides of its mouth took away from the angel image, but added a mythical look that made it even more beautiful than before.

I frowned. It seemed almost…familiar, somehow. Was it someone I knew? I pondered this for a few moments, then shivered. I wrapped my arms around myself, then snuggled back under the covers for a moment. The moment didn't last, however, as I realized I needed to go to the bathroom.

I threw the covers off of me and put my feet on the floor. I knew immediately that something had changed. Where my bare feet should have felt the deep cold of porcelain tile, they found carpet. I realized a moment later that my bed was on the wrong side of the room. I started to panic. Where was I?

Voices drifted to me from outside the room, voices I hadn't heard in several days. I ran to the door and yanked it open, blinking in the sudden bright light of the hallway. I forced my eyes to stare past the light and saw what I was looking for.

"Mom!" I ran across the hall to her, throwing myself into her arms. It had been almost a week since I'd seen her, since she went to meet Phil for another game, and I had missed her more than I had imagined I would.

"Bella!" She pulled me into her arms, tears running down her face. "Oh, I'm so glad you're awake! I was so worried!"

I frowned. Didn't Dr. Cullen knock me out? What else happened that I didn't know about. I looked around then, and realized that I didn't recognize my surroundings.

"Um, where am I, mom?" I asked her, looking around again. It was then that I noticed Dr. Cullen, standing against the wall behind my mom, and a beautiful woman I didn't know standing next to him. Her hair was the color of the sun, with eyes that matched perfectly. Her skin resembled Dr. Cullen's and Edward's, so I could only assume they were related somehow.

As if she could feel my gaze, her eyes flitted up to meet mine, and she smiled a smile that belonged to a super model. Holding her hand out, she walked over and said, "Hello, Bella. It's so wonderful to finally meet you." Her voice was like honey and cream, smooth and rich, with a slight dimple in each cheek. "I'm Esme, Carlisle's wife."

My eyes widened. I probably should have known, as beautiful as Dr. Cullen and all of his adopted children were, but she still managed to take me by surprise. Looking between her and Dr. Cullen, I noted how good they looked together, and already couldn't imagine her being anyone else than his wife.

"Bella," Dr. Cullen said then, pushing away from the wall to stand by his wife. "Your parents worried that it wasn't good for you to be so far from home, and I personally agree with them. So for now, you are going to stay in one of our spare rooms. This way, you can go back to school and see your friends. You can visit your parents anytime, and they you. But I'm still close enough if you need me. When I'm not home, Esme will be here for you. I hope this meets with your approval...?" He trailed off, watching me seriously.

I stared in shock from mom and Esme's smiling faces to Dr. Cullen's solemn observation, trying to get my mind together enough to think. Stay with the Cullens? With _Edward_!? I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"Bella?" Mom's smile disappeared as I started to sway. She and Dr. Cullen grabbed me by the arms and helped me to sit down on the floor against the wall. "Bella, are you okay? What's wrong with her, Dr.?"

"Bella, can you hear me?" Dr. Cullen's voice seemed to float to me from far away. I looked up at him, confused.

"How did I get here?" I asked, trying to sound normal, to distract my thoughts. "How long have I been out?" How long have I been in the same house as Edward? What did he think of all this?

"I drove you here shortly after my shift ended, just today," Dr. Cullen said carefully, seeming confused by my question. He picked up my arm, checking my pulse. "Why, Bella?"

I shook my head. So mom was just behaving in typical Renee fashion when she'd acted so worried earlier. I've only been out for a few hours, not days. I frowned, thinking back to my dreams, and could suddenly imagine my sparkly mythical creature with Edward's face; his smile, his honey-colored eyes, his perfect features...

"Is there something shiny in your car?" I asked, ignoring his question for one of my own. I looked up at him, watching for any hint of a lie.

He looked startled at the change of subject, but answered. "I have a disco ball hanging from my mirror," he said, seeming almost embarrassed. "It was a gag birthday gift from my kids one year, and I didn't have the heart to throw it away." He cocked his head to the side, so much like Edward that I turned away, and asked, "How did you know?"

I hesitated as three pairs of curious eyes turned to look at me. I could feel the blood pooling into my cheeks, and I looked away, trying to figure out how to word it without making myself sound even crazier than everyone already thought I was.

"Later," Dr. Cullen said, standing up abruptly and pulling me with him. "It's time you had something to eat. Let's go downstairs, shall we?"

Then I remembered the reason I had woken up in the first place. "Actually, is there a bathroom nearby?" I looked around, realizing the hallway only had two rooms off of it, mine and one other, and at the end there was a staircase going down. My room was on the left, the furthest from the stairway, and I wondered if someone was already living in the other room as we headed to the staircase.

The door was cracked, and as we passed, I tried to see in, but only caught a glimpse of a black leather couch before we were headed down the stairs. Hmm… Maybe the room was mine, too. Maybe they didn't want to be on the same floor as me, so set up the other room as a living room of sorts… I frowned at the pain that came with that thought.

"The bathroom is right here," Esme said, interrupting my thoughts. She waved her hand at the door to the direct left of the staircase. "When you're done, come down to the first floor and have something to eat. The dining room is at the end of the hallway to the left of the stairs."

I nodded and ducked into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I turned on the light, then gaped in shock. The bathroom was easily as big my room at dad's house, and very extravagant.

After uh…taking care of my business, I stared at my face in the room length mirror, trying to calm my frazzled nerves. I was going to be living in Edward's house. What did this mean to me?

I would have plenty of time to try and get my answers from him, I mused. Maybe being this close will help me to wear down his walls. We might actually have a chance at being…friends… I frowned. As much as I hated to admit it, to myself at least, I could admit that I wanted more than friendship from Edward Cullen. And that was not a good thing.

I let out a deep breath I didn't know I'd been holding and glared at my reflection. Because of him, I had spent the last two months in a mental institution, away from everything and everyone I knew and loved. Because of him, I still couldn't go home. And even if I could, no one would look at me the same again. I groaned softly. School was going to suck…

I washed my face and ran my fingers through my hair until I'd managed to smooth over most of the bed head, then turned and left the bathroom. Glancing around the hallway, I noticed that this floor had many more doors, and I wondered how many of them are bedrooms.

I walked slowly down the stairs, holding the railing on both sides firmly. Without the support of Dr. Cullen and mom, anything could happen. I smiled wryly, tightening my grip on the railing as I did so. Just by using the stairs at all, I was tempting fate in the worst way.

When I finally made it to the bottom, I sighed in relief. No pain, this time. There were three floors to this house, and they put me at the back of the top one. Hmph… Did they think I'd try and escape? Or was it just the last one available…? If that were the case, however, then the first room up there would be occupied, and I wondered again who it might belong to.

I found the dining room easily enough, and when I walked in, there was a plate covered in steaming mashed potatoes and gravy, chicken, steamed vegetables, and a large dinner roll. My stomach growled at the sight, and I immediately sat down and began to eat.

It wasn't until several minutes later that I noticed I was the _only_ one eating, and I stopped to take in my surroundings.

Esme and my mom were talking quietly at the other end of the table. Mom's hands were doing a lot of the talking, actually. Her face was animated, and I knew that I _didn't_ want to know what story she was telling. Esme laughed a couple of times, a quiet, bell-like laugh, and I blushed, 95 percent sure the story was about me.

I moved on, trying to distract myself from guessing which story it might be. Dr. Cullen was sitting at the head of the table, just a couple spots down from me, watching me eat with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Feel better?" He asked quietly.

I gave him a tentative smile. "Yes, thank you, Dr. Cullen," I replied shyly. It had just hit me how…weird this whole situation was. Why would they take me in like this? Just so I could go to school, see my parents, my friends? All fine and dandy for me, but why did they care? Did they do this a lot, or was I a special case? There must be another reason. Something in it for them…

"Call me Carlisle, please," Carlisle said. "Now that you're here, I won't be on duty when we see each other. And I prefer it." He smiled kindly, pointed at the now empty plate in front of me, and asked, "Was it to your liking? We don't do a lot of cooking around here…"

"It was great," I answered honestly. I looked around for a moment, and immediately felt uncomfortable. What now? "So…" I started, but then trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

Before the silence could drag too much longer, though, a short black-haired girl practically floated into the room. Alice, I remembered from Jessica's lessons at school.

When she saw me, she smiled brightly and practically flew over to me. "Bella!" she said happily, and leaned down to give me a quick kiss on the cheek. I stared at her, shocked. I vaguely noticed her father turn a disapproving look in her direction, and Esme seemed to freeze, just for a moment. "I'm so glad you're finally here! Come on. I have tons to show you."

Before I knew what was happening, I was pulled out of my chair and half-drug back up the stairs.

She stopped at one of the rooms on the second floor and opened the door with a flourish. She waved me inside, never stopping her stream of conversation. "…and this is my room. Isn't it great? I love the colors. Esme picked them out when we first moved in and did it all as a surprise for me while we were at school. Not that I was surprised…" She seemed to freeze for a split moment, then quickly went on. "And this is my closet." She opened the door and gestured for me to look before I'd fully had time to look at her baby blue and purple room.

My jaw must have hit the floor. The closet was bigger than her room! And it was bursting at the seams with every kind of clothing you could think of. Dresses lined the whole left side. Dressy and casual pants, skirts, and both long-sleeved and short-sleeved shirts were along the back wall. The right wall had a floor to ceiling dresser near the door, and hanging up on the other side were many pieces of very fancy, barely-there lingerie.

I could feel the blood rising, even though I had turned away before I could get a really good look. I dropped my gaze to the floor, and realized just about every kind of shoe in every color imaginable covered shoe shelves than lined all three walls. It was amazing, to say the least.

"This is amazing, Alice," I mumbled, trying to comprehend the amount of clothes I was seeing. Why would anyone need this many pieces of clothing? You could wear something different every day of the week for your whole life, and still have clothes left over. You'd never have to do laundry, that's for sure.

But Alice frowned. "It's not as big as I'd like it to be, but you can only take down so many rooms when there're so many people living with you." She shrugged and grinned. "It works. Come on, Bella. I want to show you what I did to your room." She stopped at the door, a far off expression on her face, then said, "You didn't see it yet, did you?"

She almost seemed to know the answer already, but I still replied. "No, I woke up and ran straight out." How could she have known that, though? I shook my head. I must still be a little foggy from the medicine Dr. Cu-Carlisle had given me earlier.

Alice smiled at me, excited again. "Good! Come on." And she was off again. I followed at a slower pace, thinking about, of all things, Edward. I glanced at all the doors again, wondering which room might be his. What would it look like? I imagined a room the color of his eyes with dark brown or black accents. That would suit him perfectly.

I frown at the direction my thoughts had taken, but before I could give myself a thorough punishment, I was at the door to my room. Wow. My mind blanked of everything except for the beauty of the room before me.

The walls were the color of the sky right before the sun rises, a light dusty blue. The carpet was a milk chocolate brown, and so was the comforter on the King size bed sitting against the far wall of the room. There was silver glitter on all the walls, and two wooden sconces glowed with candlelight on each wall.

I gasped as I realized windows took up the whole back wall of my room. A long curtain rod hung from each end of the room, holding two huge curtains the same color as the walls. They were currently thrown wide open, giving me a beautiful view of the backyard. I could only imagine waking up to the beauty of a new sunrise each morning.

"Renee brought over all of your clothes," Alice said, showing me to the closet. It wasn't as big as Alice's, but definitely bigger than I needed. It was mostly empty, just a four drawer dresser standing against the back wall, and one side wall half full with my clothes. Alice frowned in disapproval. "We'll have to go shopping soon. You don't have anything worth keeping."

I looked up at her, surprised and a little hurt. Most of my clothes were gifts, and the few I had bought were treasured. I didn't have a lot of money, so I didn't buy much for myself. "I like my clothes."

Alice just shook her head at me. "You are so pretty, Bella. You need clothes that will compliment you." She looked off into the distance again, and I wondered briefly if she had an attention disorder. Then she smiled at me, excited again. "We'll go this weekend! It'll be so much fun! And don't worry about money. This is a gift, understand?"

Before I could reply, a sudden noise from the room next to mine caught my attention. I moved over to the wall, trying to figure out what it was. It seemed strangely familiar. I pushed my ear to the wall, and I could feel my eyes grow wide in shock. Debussy?

"Alice," I said softly. I turned to look at her. "Who has the room next to me?"

Alice's grin grew even wider, if that were possible, and she started toward the door as she stated nonchalantly, "Edward. I'm going to bed. Goodnight!" With a little half wave, she closed the door behind her.

So, review! Please?! I really need to know what to do with this thing. Continue, or take down?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Your Knowledge, My Despair

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Ok, so I know this story started out slow. Hopefully, you'll like it better now. There's quite a bit of fluff in this one. Happy reading!!

).O.(

I stood there, staring at the closed door for a moment, silently cursing the one whose idea this had been. Why? Why was I put right next door to _him,_ when everyone knew he was the one I could stand the least? What were they thinking?

I turned and moved as quietly as I could towards the bed. Once I'd sat down, I stared back at the wall, half listening to the soft music, half cursing the one playing it. I bet it was his idea… It would be just like him to add more pain to my already tortured existence. I glared at the wall angrily, wishing with all my might that I could disappear.

At that moment, the music suddenly stopped, and I heard the soft pad of feet moving towards the hallway from the other side of the wall. I followed the sound, as best as I could through the wall, with my eyes, praying feverishly that he turned away from my room and went downstairs. Not so lucky.

I held my breath as he stopped outside my door. There was a pause, then some light pacing, then finally, a soft knock. So soft, I almost missed it entirely. I silently released the breath I was holding, and hoping my voice sounded somewhat normal, called for him to come in.

I watched him come in and shut the door behind him. He stood there a moment, just looking at me, then moved over to sit on the opposite end of the bed.

"Bella," he started, then frowned. He stared at the floor for a moment, and seemed to take a deep breath. Then he turned and looked at me, smiling a half crooked smile that took my breath away. I turned away quickly, letting my hair fall over my shoulder, refusing to let him see me blush.

"Bella," he started again. "I wanted to tell you that… I'm sorry. I wish I could give you what you need, but I can't, and I'm sorry. I know the last couple of months have been hard for you. I never wanted that to happen, and I hope now that you're here, I can start making it up to you. Will you please forgive me?"

I stared at the floor in shock, unable to even think for a moment. Then the anger hit, hard. I turned the deadliest glare I could manage at him, and had the satisfaction of seeing him flinch away from me before I let it out.

"Did you really believe that _this_ would make it all better? You bring me to yourhouse, put me in the room right next door to yours, come in here and give me a half-assed apology and _still_ no answers… And I'm supposed to just let it go? Be okay with it, because you _apologized_? Well, you need to understand something, _Edward,_ I don't work like that. I'm not going to change my story just because you made things more comfortable for me. You either give me the answers I want, or I'm not lying for you."

I crossed my arms over my chest, closed my eyes and took a deep breath, willing the angry tears to dry up before they could drip down my face. Unfortunately, one broke free, but before it got too far, I felt a cold finger brush it away quickly. I snapped my eyes open, and stared into Edward's pain filled golden orbs.

"I can't, Bella, please…" He said this so quietly, I almost didn't catch it. He reached out to touch my face again, then seemed to think better of it and pulled back. Instead, he scooted a little closer on the bed and stared intently into my eyes. "Bella, I swear, I would tell you everything if I could. But I can't…"

"Why not, Edward?" I asked just as quietly. "What secret could be worth all this?" I waved my hands vaguely around the room, at a loss for words. "Why is it so important for me not to know?"

Edward let out a sigh, then turned away and stood up. When I realized he was again leaving me with no answers, I snapped. I jumped up and blocked the door, glaring at him again.

"You are not getting away from me so easily this time, Edward," I practically growled. Edward raised his eyebrows at me, and I blushed a little in embarrassment. My anger was stronger, however, and I walked up to him and pushed him in the chest with my finger. "What's the big secret? I swear, I won't tell anyone. Please!"

Edward stared into my eyes for a moment, and I forced myself to keep focused. It was much too easy to fall into those deep, golden pools and drown in them, and I couldn't allow myself to do that at such a critical moment. Instead, I stared back, trying to tell him how much he could trust me, how if he'd just trust me, everything would be okay. He opened his mouth to speak, and I held my breath.

"I'm sorry, Bella…" Edward turned his eyes away and brushed past me. I stared at the spot he'd just left, feeling the tears well up and spill over as anger consumed me. The pain of the last two months, the rejection as he refused to trust me, the feeling of hopelessness at my situation, pushed me over the edge. I glanced around the room, and my eyes locked on a tall crystal vase filled with roses and lilies sitting on my side table. I lunged at it and, throwing the flowers on the ground at my feet, turned and hurled the vase at Edward's head.

Time seemed to slow down as I watched the heavy vase fly at Edward. I could almost see the individual water droplets rain down to the floor as the vase flipped. Then, suddenly, time sped back up and there was the sound of breaking glass. The vase shattered into millions of microscopic pieces as it collided with the back of Edward's head. I stared in wonder and shock as Edward froze, then turned and stared at me with the same expression frozen on his face.

"What… what the hell are you?" I sputtered, in awe of the fact that he wasn't bleeding and was still standing. A stream of emotions played across Edward's face, but before I could identify them, Carlisle ran in, followed by Esme, Renee and Alice.

They stared at the remains of the broken vase, then the flowers at my feet, before looking between me and Edward, obviously waiting for an explanation.

"I'm sorry," Edward said immediately. He grinned that crooked grin and ran a hand through his hair. "I was going to go get more water for the vase, and I tripped." He shrugged, still smiling. "Sorry about the vase, Alice. I'll buy you another one."

I stared at Edward, too shocked at his explanation to say anything. Carlisle and Esme looked between me and Edward, then locked gazes with each other for a moment. Carlisle nodded, then turned back to me and smiled. "Are you alright?" he asked gently. I stared at them for a long moment, trying to decide if I should say anything about Edward's lie or not.

"Bella?" Renee repeated, staring at me from the doorway. "Are you okay, Bella? Say something!" She looked like she wanted to run to me and scoop me into her arms, but there was glass all over the floor and all she had on was socks. I was almost glad about that.

"I'm fine, mom," I said, turning to her so I didn't have to see Edward. I smiled reassuringly, and it seemed to convince her. She turned to Esme, obviously wanting to continue whatever conversation they had been engrossed in. Esme smiled at me, then led Renee from the room.

I stared at the glass on the floor, wondering how I would get out as I was also just in socks, when Edward came and scooped me up, bridal style. My heart sped to at least twice its normal speed as I stared up at him, and I'd swear I heard him chuckle under his breath. "I'll take her to my room," he told Carlisle, his voice as soft and smooth as velvet. Carlisle locked eyes with Edward for a moment, then nodded.

"I'll get the vacuum," Alice said as she flitted out of the room. Her voice brought me back to reality, and I realized that Edward was walking towards the door, taking me with him.

Before I had the chance to protest, we were in his room and he was setting me down carefully. He immediately stepped back and took a deep breath. Looking up into my eyes, he said quietly, "I'll be right back. I'm going to go help clean up." He gestured at the black leather couch I had noticed earlier and said, "Make yourself comfortable." He stared into my eyes for a moment, then added softly, "We'll talk when I get back." Then he turned and left, softly shutting the door behind him.

I watched the door for a moment, listening to Edward and Carlisle's soft voices talking in the next room. I tried to make out what they were saying, but they were too quiet. I heard Alice come up with the vacuum a few moments later, and when she turned it on, I looked around the room to distract myself.

I smiled as I realized that Edward's room looked exactly how I had imagined it. The walls were a nice golden color, the carpet a soft cream; shelves lined one whole wall and were filled with cd's. The only furniture in the room was the black leather sofa I was currently sitting on, pushed up against one of the walls, and a huge king sized bed situated in the middle of the room.

The wall facing the backyard was all windows. Ceiling to floor, wall to wall. I stood up and took the few steps needed to stand in front of them. I stared out at the backyard in awe. The yard was immaculate. It was freshly mowed and had a little garden on the right. About a hundred feet out, the woods took over, surrounding the house except for the strip that is the driveway. The house seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, and I shuddered as the thought 'no one can hear you scream' danced across my mind.

I was about to turn around and head back to the couch when something caught my eye in the woods. I stared harder, trying to see through my reflection in the glass, but to no avail. Frowning, I turned around and looked for the light switch. I found it by the door, and was quickly back to the window in the now darkened room.

I stared hard straight ahead of me, trying to see whatever it was that had caught my attention. It was probably nothing, I kept telling myself, but something urged me to keep looking. Then quite suddenly, a figure appeared at the edge of the woods. I stared, wondering if I should tell someone or not. Maybe he was lost? For it definitely was a he. Short black hair, baggy clothes… I stared harder, trying to make out some sort of features.

The figure suddenly turned and stared up at the windows, and I gasped as his eyes caught mine. Blue. They were a cold, ice blue, only barely hidden behind an expensive looking pair of designer glasses. His mouth went slack when he saw me, and his eyes widened in fear. Then he turned and glared at the house as he half ran towards it.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Edward's voice came from behind me, and I gasped again as I turned around. I hadn't even noticed him come in. I realized the vacuum was off, and the whole floor seemed extremely quiet suddenly. I stared for a moment, trying to get my thoughts in order enough to speak.

"Someone's out there," I finally managed, pointing out the window to where I could still see the boy, getting closer to the house by the second. He looked up at the window, catching my eye again, before noticing Edward standing next to me. He stopped in his tracks as Edward turned and saw him. I couldn't help but notice the sudden loathing on both of their faces.

Edward inhaled sharply, then turned and scooped me up. I barely noticed the boy's look of outrage as my arms instinctively went around Edward's neck, because he was running again, but this time in the opposite direction.

Hmn… So who is our mystery boy? Will Bella ever get her promised talk with Edward? All in due time… For now, please, review?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Your Embrace, My Sanity

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Long chapter for you! Hope you like it! Lots of fluff and just a bit of Edward's point of view… I really hope I did a good job with him. Please let me know? Enjoy!

).O.(

I stared as the boy disappeared into the woods, then turned to Edward. "Who was that?"

Edward frowned and shook his head slightly. He looked at me with his beautiful topaz eyes as he said, "I don't know. I should go let Carlisle know about him, though." He glanced at the door, then turned back to me, seemingly changing his mind.

I frowned, then realized I was still in Edward's arms. I glanced up at him, blushing slightly as he stared down at me with an unreadable emotion dancing in his eyes. I was immediately lost. I could feel myself drowning in him, and realized with a start that I didn't want to be saved.

It was unbearably noticeable that the light was still off, and the moonlight streaming in the wall of windows cast beautiful silver shadows across Edward's face, making him seem even more ethereal than usual. Before I realized what I was doing, my hand gently touched his cheek, my thumb skimming slightly over his cold, smooth skin. Edward's eyes widened, and I saw something unreadable flicker in their depths. If only I could fall a little further…

Edward pulled back suddenly, taking a sharp breath and turning away, breaking the connection. He set me down on my feet again, making sure I was steady before stepping back and completely breaking what little contact we had left. I suddenly felt lost, and wrapped my arms around myself, looking away from him.

"You should go get some sleep," Edward mumbled, stepping toward the door. He glanced back at me and added, "Tomorrow is your first day back to school, and it's already almost eleven."

I turned back to him, confused. "But…" I thought for a moment, trying to remember what was so important. Oh yeah… I did my best to glare at him, though I was still shaken from our _moment_. "You promised me some answers, Edward. Don't think you're getting out of it now."

Unexpectedly, he smiled a somewhat cocky smile at me. "Silly Bella, I promised no such thing. I said we'd talk. I never said I'd answer your questions."

I stared, shocked. It's true, I realized. He never did promise to answer anything. I needed answers, though! How was I supposed to deal with everyone at school if I didn't know what to say? Or how to act? What was I supposed to do? Arrogant, pig-headed, sexy… No! Do not think like that!

"What am I supposed to tell everyone at school then? Won't they find it a bit strange that I was let out while still believing what they think is a lie?" I asked, staring up at him triumphantly. I knew he'd have to tell me _something_, if he didn't want me to continue telling the truth. He seemed to realize this as I smiled at him, and his smile instantly disappeared. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, then actually glared at me.

I stood motionless, quite shocked. He had never looked at me that way before. Well, not since my first day at school. Something told me that his reaction then was involuntary, but not this time. He glared at me angrily, and I almost took a step backward. Almost.

"Fine," he nearly growled. "What do you want to know?" He crossed his arms as he continued to stare at me, waiting impatiently for my questions. I stared back, unsure of how to continue. I finally had the chance to get some answers, but the anger he'd directed at me stopped me short. It _hurt_, I realized. He really didn't want to tell me anything, and it hurt just how much he distrusted me.

I could feel the tears welling up behind my eyes, and I turned quickly away, not wanting him to see the extent of my pain.

It was no use, however. Before I knew what was happening, I felt a cold finger wipe away a stray tear. Edward sighed, and I looked up into his eyes. I could see his pain and regret for hurting me, plain as the moon floating in the sky, and I was lost again. What was it about those eyes that took my mind away from me? I couldn't think. It was all I could do to remember to breathe while I lost myself in those breathtakingly beautiful eyes of his.

"Bella," Edward said softly, staring back at me intently. His thumb grazed my cheek ever so softly, like a light summer's breeze. I wouldn't have even known he'd touched me if it weren't for the electric sparks that shot through his fingers and into my skin. I shuddered and closed my eyes, concentrating on every moment that his skin touched mine. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before, and I didn't want it to end.

"Bella, if you can promise me something…" he started softly, unsure. I opened my eyes again, hoping against hope that maybe he'd changed his mind. "Bella," he said again, insecurity very visible in every line of his face. "Promise me you'll tell my story, and maybe, maybe…" He frowned, seemingly fighting an internal battle. He winced, then said very quietly, "They won't like it. They won't want me to tell you…"

I could feel my hope dying again. If his family was against it, I knew I would never get my answers. It was very clear how close this family was. If they told him no, the answer would be no. My eyes fell to the floor, unable to look at him any longer. I went to step back, but he grabbed my arms, holding me in place.

His eyes searched mine again, and after a moment, he blurted, "Can you give me a few days, Bella? Please?" He stared into my eyes, pleading with me to trust him. Funny, how I was so attracted to him, yet neither of us seemed to trust the other. "I want to tell you, I do. But I'm afraid my family won't let me. Yet. Just give me a few days. Let me talk to them. I know I can convince them. Bella, I promise, I'll answer all your questions then. Please?"

It was my turn to search his eyes. I held onto my mind as best I could while staring into those glorious orbs, but didn't see any hint of a lie anywhere. I frowned, thinking it through. There wasn't much to think about, though. If it would get me my answers, then I would do it.

Edward seemed to read my decision, and sighed in relief before I could say anything. "Thank you, Bella," he said gently. He smiled angelically before scooping me back into his arms. I felt a moment of panic and threw my arms around Edward's neck, gripping as tightly as I could. I glared in the general direction of his face, unable to look at him directly for fear of losing myself yet again.

Edward chuckled as he carried me to my room. He set me down on my bed gently, and with a finger under my chin, forced me to look up into his eyes. "Do you hate me, Bella?" he asked softly, an amused expression on his face. I stared into his eyes, shocked speechless. As I stared, I realized he was more than serious, even though he tried to hide it.

"Uh…" came my brilliant reply. I could feel the blood flooding my cheeks, and I noticed Edward's eyes darken in response. A new emotion flitted through his eyes, but was gone before I could name it. I blinked. What was the question again?

Much too soon, Edward pulled away from me, a sad smile on his face. "Good night, Bella." He then turned and left the room, pulling the door softly shut behind him.

I stared after him for a moment, listening as he went to his room, then almost immediately headed downstairs. I sighed as I laid back on my bed and tried to push all thoughts aside so I could go to sleep. Sleep eluded me, however, as I found myself reliving the moment in his bedroom, lost in his eyes. Actually, there were several times I'd found myself sinking into those eyes. What was it about Edward that drew me in this way?

I should hate him. After everything he'd put me through, I should totally, completely, one hundred percent hate him. But… When I looked into those eyes, I couldn't help but feel an attraction to him. My body became hyper aware; every touch sent shivers of electricity through my veins.

So why didn't I say anything when he'd asked me? How could I let him walk away thinking I hated him? As much pain as he'd put me through, no one deserved to think you hated them unless it was true. And it wasn't. But what could I do about it now?

My thoughts were interrupted as I heard Edward come back to his room. I forced myself to breathe deeply - so as not to hyperventilate or pass out - as I listened to every sound coming from his side of the wall. I soon heard Debussy playing again, and the soft, sweet tune soon had me drifting toward sleep.

One last coherent thought drifted through my mind as I fell into unconsciousness: Who was that boy?

).O.( (Edward's turn)

Why did I have to ask her that? Why, why, why? How dumb could I be? I paced back and forth in front of my couch, glaring at nothing in particular as I did so. You know she can't stand you. Why rub it in more? What were you thinking? Are you trying to cause yourself more pain?

_What are you thinking, Edward!? _I growled lightly as the thoughts of my siblings cut into my personal self loathing. As if I wasn't doing a good enough job myself, Rosalie was sending death thoughts my way, and even Emmett and Jasper weren't being too nice at the moment. _How could you promise her that? You know you can't tell her! It's not just you at risk! Edward, you can NOT tell her! I will not let you!_

I sighed. I knew they'd react this way, but it still hurt a bit to know they didn't trust me. Not nearly as much as it hurt that _she_ didn't trust me, but still. This was my family. We'd been together for years. They should know by now that I would never to do anything to jeopardize my family's wellbeing.

Then Emmett, being Emmett, decided to pop up with a question that was almost worse than the anger coming from Rosalie. _Why do you care if she hates you, Edward? What, do you like the clumsy human girl? _I glared at the floor, debating going down there and beating the crap out of my brother, but decided to let it pass. It was a valid question, after all. Unfortunately, I had no answer. I sighed. My life was suddenly much more complicated than I had ever imagined it could become.

_Edward._ Alice's voice floated to me, softer and more understanding than the others. _I know you know what you're doing. I trust you. _

I smiled slightly at Alice's words. I felt just a bit better hearing them from her. I knew she would tell me if she saw anything bad in our future, whether it hurt me or not. She was the sweetest thing I'd ever met, besides Bella, of course, but she could be tough as nails when need be.

I heard the back door open, and Carlisle sent a quick thought at me. _It was definitely him. There's no way a normal human could get away from us. Come downstairs please. _

I frowned, not wanting to face my siblings yet, but sighed in defeat. Carlisle wanted me, so I would go. I headed down the stairs as softly as I could, not wanting to disturb Bella. I placed a practiced mask of indifference on my face as I entered the kitchen, where most of my family had gathered. I glanced around quickly, taking in who was already there, as well as who wasn't.

_She's still with Renee,_ Alice answered my unspoken question. I glanced at her and nodded slightly, then took my place at the table, turning to face Carlisle and to try and block out my siblings hurtful thoughts. They echoed in my head much louder down here than up in my room. I sighed again. This was going to be a long night.

Carlisle looked around the table, not missing the tension that seemed aimed at me. "What happened?" he asked softly, turning his matching colored eyes back to me.

Before I could answer, however, Rosalie hissed, "He promised to tell her." She sent me another death glare while her mind kept up a stream of curses and hateful remarks that would have made a sailor blush in shame. "He told her that he would answer _all_ of her questions in just a few days, if only she wouldn't tell anyone at school. Like we can trust her, Edward! Look what she did when you saved her life! She told everyone! How could you even think for one second…"

"Enough," Carlisle said calmly. "Not so loud, Rosalie. We still have another guest." He then turned to me and asked silently, _Do you trust her, Edward?_

"Yes," I replied without a moment's hesitation. And it was true. I knew without a doubt that she could be trusted completely. She only told because she wouldn't lie without a reason. She was just too honest for that. I smiled slightly, thinking about the beautiful girl upstairs. Honor was important to her, and I could respect that. It was important to me, too.

_You understand how risky it is having her here,_ Carlisle asked. _Hunting will be fairly easy, as we can do that while she sleeps. But what about when it's sunny? How do we get around that? Have you come up with anything?_

"Alice will let us know when we're to have a sunny day," I said, nodding slowly. "We can leave on an extended _camping _trip the night before. I'll go get her truck, so she can still get to school while we're gone."

_Do you think it's wise to leave her here by herself? _Carlisle asked, watching me closely for a reaction. _How will you explain it to her? _Carlisle smiled in amusement, and I heard Emmett sigh impatiently. He hated these silent conversations. _What if she wants to come with us?_

I stared at him, dumbfounded. I hadn't even thought of that. What if she _did_ ask to come with us? What was I supposed to do? We take her in, then leave her every time the sun comes out? I frowned. We most definitely couldn't take her with us. But maybe…

"I could stay here with her," I said slowly, thinking it through. "I can claim to not feel well and stay here, that way she's not alone." I looked up at Carlisle, who was still smiling amusedly at me. "What?"

_Every time? _He asked simply.

I let out an irritated sigh. "I'll figure something out, okay?" I said shortly. This was getting ridiculous. There wasn't any other option but to take her back to that awful section of the hospital, and I refused to see her there again. No matter how much she hated me, I couldn't do that to her.

"Then it's settled," Carlisle stated with an air of finality. "Edward will be allowed to do what he feels is best. Moving on. That was definitely Alexander. What happened, Edward? I want every detail."

I ignored the looks of outrage coming from three of my siblings, and started my short tale. "I don't know much. I heard Bella gasp, so I went to go see what was wrong. He was running toward the house when she gestured for me to look out the window. I believe he saw her and recognized her as human. I picked her up to take her to her room, to try and keep her away from him, but when I did that, he froze, then turned the opposite direction and ran." I shrugged. "That's it."

I kept my face perfectly clear of emotion when I said all of this, hoping the fact that I had touched Bella in a rather _inappropriate_ way would escape my sibling's notice. I was too worked up, to emotional, to deal with it right now. Hopefully, it would just slip by.

It didn't.

_You… you picked her up? Like, held her in your arms? Ha! Did you kiss her? Did she kiss you? Haha! Edward and Bella, sitting in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G. Hahaha! _Emmett's amusement was very loud in my head, and I sighed, trying to push away the images his singing had forced into my head. At least he wasn't angry anymore…

I didn't need to see it to know Alice was smirking at me from her end of the table, and I could feel Jasper's mirth, but thankfully, they kept their thoughts to themselves.

Rosalie, however, was a different story. _You touched her? Not just touched, but HELD her!? What were you thinking, Edward? Are you trying to destroy us? Are you trying to destroy what we have? Things are good right now. I LIKE Forks. And here you go, messing it all up. I can't believe you, Edward… _I tried my best not to flinch at her thoughts as I waited for Carlisle to speak.

Carlisle seemed lost in thought for a few more moments, then finally said, "Well, there's nothing we can do tonight. Keep your thoughts focused, Edward. We need to find him, and soon. Alice, watch for him. If he plans on making a move, I want to know about it. It's time this ended."

We all nodded, then dispersed. I immediately went to the living room to bid Renee good night. I gave Esme a hug, strictly for appearances, of course, then went straight back to my room.

I sighed, then walked over to the thin wall separating myself from Bella. To my surprise, she was still awake. I could hear her breathing, slow and deep, but uneven. I wondered for the thousandth time what she was thinking. I frowned at the wall for a moment, cursing the entity that decided _her _thoughts would be best unknown to me, then turned dejectedly to my stereo. I turned Debussy back on and settled myself on my couch. I focused on listening to Bella breathe, trying my best to block out my sibling's thoughts.

I could still smell her scent lingering in my room, and thought back to just earlier this evening. The way her eyes seemed to gloss over when she looked at me, her beautiful, soft brown hair, her dark, chocolate colored eyes… I smiled as I remembered her blush, so becoming of her. And the way she'd closed her eyes and unconsciously leaned into my touch when I brushed her cheek…

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I needed to stop thinking like this. These thoughts were pure torture to my already tormented mind. She didn't even like me. She'd practically admitted it to me just today. And that was a good thing. I was dangerous to her. More so than anyone else in my family. Her blood didn't call to them as it did me. She was right to hate me. If it keeps her away from me, then that hate is a good thing.

A stab of pain sliced through where my heart used to be, even though I knew there was nothing I could do to change things. The fact is, I am a vampire, and as long as she was around me, I was dangerous to her. The pain slashed again, and I closed my eyes, trying not to notice it.

It was useless, though. It seemed my head could not control how I felt. And I found myself wishing she had said no. As well as I knew that this was for the best, I couldn't help but feel sad that she didn't. I sighed. She hated me, and that was that.

_Are you sure? She never actually said yes, either_, a small treacherous voice whispered in the back of my mind. I worried over this thought as I listened to Bella finally drift off to sleep, trying to decide which would be worse. Her saying yes, or her saying no.

Okay, do NOT get used to reading from Edward's POV. It's extremely hard for me to write, and I only did it because I felt there were a few too many loose ends that needed to be tied up in this chapter. It will not happen often.

Next chapter, first day back to school! (grin) For now, review?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Your Pain, My Regret

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

So, it was unavoidable. I have created an Original Character. For those of you who don't like those, you might want to leave now. Sorry!

And here it is. The first day back to school. Yay! Enjoy!

).O.(

My first day back to school. I took a deep breath as I stared up at the familiar building, dread running through my veins like ice water. I cursed the fact that I didn't drive myself –although since I didn't have my truck, that would have been quite the feat – because I couldn't just turn around and go back. No, I was stuck. I could already imagine the looks, the whispers, the questions from people who knew me well enough to actually ask.

I was pulled back to the moment when my door opened, and Edward reached for my hand to help me out of his shiny, silver Volvo. I had been given the front seat, next to Edward, while Alice and Jasper rode in the back. Emmett and Rosalie had taken Emmett's jeep.

The trip was a quiet one. Alice had tried several times to spark up a conversation, but to no avail. I couldn't think properly with Edward just inches from me. I wanted to tell him that I don't hate him. That I could never hate him, but I knew now was not the time for it. It would be hard enough to tell him alone. There was no way I could tell him with two of his siblings sitting in the backseat.

"Bella?" Edward asked, leaning down further to look at me curiously. "Are you okay? Do you want to go home?"

I stared at him, once again pulled back to the moment by his voice. Why is he allowed amazingly good looks _and_ a beautiful voice? It just didn't seem fair. How were all of us normal people supposed to hold our own against the god-like beauty of Edward? Or any of the Cullen's, for that matter.

I frowned at the direction my thoughts had taken me and looked up at Edward again. He was still waiting patiently for me to decide what I wanted to do. I looked into his eyes, knowing instantly why I hadn't done that previously. They were just too pretty to look at, unless you didn't feel like talking, or moving, or breathing…

I shook my head. School would do absolutely nothing for me if I continued like this. I would fail all my classes and have to redo the whole school year. I flinched internally at the thought of Edward going into his senior year without me… I groaned softly; again, my thoughts were betraying me. They seemed determined to explore areas I would rather not explore right now.

I took his hand and allowed him to help me out of the car. He let go and took a step back as soon as he was sure I was steady. My heart dropped a little at the loss of contact. I blushed and looked away, not wanting him to see the pain I knew was written across my face. "No," I replied softly, "I'll have to do this sooner or later…"

He watched me for a moment, then shut the door and said, "Would you like me to walk you to the office? Or would you prefer to do it on your own…?" He sounded very unsure, and I turned to him.

"Will you come with me?" I asked hesitantly. I could feel the blood pooling in my cheeks again as I stared at the ground between us. If this keeps up, my cheeks will be permanently stained red, I thought idly. Not such a bad thing, as people would then be unable to tell when I was embarrassed.

I chanced a look back up at Edward as he moved closer to me. His eyes were soft, gentle, and I forced myself to turn away before I became lost again. I was startled when I felt his cold, smooth hand take mine again. I stared at our hands for a moment, then smiled up at him timidly.

"Anything for you, Bella," he murmured, staring into my eyes. My breath caught in my throat at his words. What did he mean by that? Was he _trying_ to make me lose my mind? If so, he was doing a pretty damn good job. Once again, I couldn't speak. My mind was reeling.

"Breathe, Bella," Edward whispered. I took in a sharp breath, still staring into those beautiful orbs. His face suddenly seemed much closer than before, and I shivered in anticipation.

Suddenly, his coat was wrapped around my shoulders, and he was rubbing my arms through the rough fabric. If I wasn't so disappointed, I'd have laughed. As it was, I cracked a small smile and thanked him. I _was_ a bit chilled… I sighed. I needed to get myself under control.

"Let's go," Edward said, and he grabbed my upper arm gently. I reached up and grabbed the top of each side of the coat, holding it to my body as we went to the office. Once inside, Edward let go of my arm, and I pulled the coat on fully so it wouldn't slip off my shoulders. I inhaled Edward's fragrance every time I took a breath. It was wonderful.

Edward walked up to the counter. The receptionist turned to him and immediately turned red. "Y-yes? Can I help you, Edward?"

I watched in amazement as Edward turned his beautiful eyes on the woman and said, "We need Isabella Swan's new schedule. Is it ready?" He smiled, and the woman flushed even brighter than before.

"Um… Oh, yes," the woman mumbled, sifting through a stack of papers sitting in a large pile on the desk in front of her. After a few moments, she came up with a piece of paper and handed it to Edward. "There you are." She turned and looked at me. "It's good to have you back, Miss Swan. I'm glad to hear you are feeling better."

I nodded and dropped my head to my chest, staring at the floor as I listened to Edward thank the receptionist. He took my hand and led me back outside.

It had started raining gently, and I turned my face up to the clouds and smiled. It felt _so_ good to feel the rain again after two months in that mini prison. I smiled wider as it finally hit me that this was real. This wasn't some elaborate dream my mind had made up, but a real life event. I wanted to laugh I was so happy right then.

"What are you thinking, Bella?" Edward asked me, a faint smile gracing his lips as he watched me. I grinned at him and linked my arm through his. His eyes went wide in surprise, and I decided, what the hell, and laughed. He stopped walking and stared at me, completely shocked.

"Sorry," I said easily. "I'm just so glad to be out of that place!" I grinned at him as his eyes softened and he smiled, too.

"I'm glad that you're happy, Bella," he said softly. He cocked his head to the side, then added, "I think someone else is happy you're back, too."

"Bella!" I heard my name being called, and turned to see Angela rushing over to us. I had barely smiled at her before I was wrapped in a big hug. "How are you?" she asked quietly, pulling away to look at me.

"Never better," I replied truthfully, smiling at her concern. "I'm so glad to be back. I'm even happy to see this place." I waved my hand at the school building as we laughed.

Just then, the first bell rang. "What's your first class?" Angela asked me. I went to look at my schedule, then realized Edward still had it. I turned to him and held my hand out. He placed the piece of paper in my hand silently. I glanced down and saw that it was different than before. I now had History first period.

I told Angela, and she grinned. "Would you like to walk with me?" she asked, looking at Edward as she included him in the invitation.

"Sure," he said, and he fell into step next to me as we walked to class.

).O.(

I quickly realized that all my classes were the same, just in a different order, and that at least one member of the Cullen family was in each class. I now had three classes with Edward; Alice was in one of those classes as well. One class with just Alice, one with both Alice and Jasper, then one with just Jasper.

As I tried to concentrate on the lecture our History professor was giving at the front of the room, my eyes kept wandering to stare at Edward's back. He was two rows in front of me, so I had the whole period in which I could stare without being caught. I sighed. I really wasn't going to learn anything the rest of this semester. At least, not in this class.

I managed to make it through the next three classes with a few notes on my paper. I sighed as I gathered up my stuff and walked out the door, intending to go to my locker to drop off a few books before heading to the cafeteria.

When I left the room, however, I caught a glimpse of black hair that looked oddly familiar. Before I could get a good look, though, Edward was there, taking the books from my hands.

I looked up at him, startled. "Edward?" I asked tentatively. He smiled down at me and started walking in the direction of my locker. I followed, wondering why he was suddenly being so accommodating. Before, he hadn't even liked me. Now, he was carrying my books for me as if we were dating or something. I frowned and blushed at that thought.

"Would you sit with me at lunch today, Bella?" he asked as I went to open my locker. I stared at him again. Something was definitely up.

"Why?" I asked, watching for his reaction. His face fell slightly, his beautiful smile slipping from his features. He turned his eyes away and shrugged.

"You don't have to," he mumbled, suddenly uncomfortable. He looked around him for a moment, then turned back to me and smiled slightly. "I'll see you in Biology, Bella." He turned and started to walk away.

"Wait!" I yelled, slamming my locker door shut and running after him. I was so intent on catching up with him that I wasn't paying attention to my feet. I tripped. My eyes shut of their own accord and my arms came out in front of me to break my fall, but I never hit the ground.

I opened my eyes slowly to see the ground about six inches from my face. I blinked, then squealed as I felt myself being lifted and set gently on my feet. I looked up into Edward's eyes, turning bright red for the millionth time that day. He looked down at me with concern and amusement playing across his features.

"Are you okay, Bella?" he asked me kindly. I nodded, looking away from him a moment to catch my breath.

"I'll have lunch with you," I mumbled, still not looking at him.

Edward didn't move for a moment, then he placed his finger under my chin and forced me to look up. "You don't have to, Bella," he said quietly. "I know you don't like me."

"Edward," I sighed, seeing the hurt in his eyes. "I don't hate you. You just… took me by surprise when you asked me, that's all," I was mumbling by the time I had finished, but the look of surprise on Edward's face made me smile.

"Well," he said after a moment. He smiled at me and took my hand. "Shall we?"

).O.(

So what did you think? Be honest. I can't make it better if you lie!! Lol. And for those of you who like him, don't worry. Alexander will be making a real appearance in the next chapter. Review? Please? Your reviews make me happy!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Your Secret, My Confusion

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

So, these titles are getting harder and harder to come up with… Anyways, here it is. Sorry it's late. Trying to get ready for Thanksgiving… I have two houses to go to on Thursday. Everyone wants to see the grandbaby. LOL. I hope to have the next chapter out by this weekend. I've already started it, and I know the basic layout, so… yeah. Anyways, enjoy!

).O.(

"What do you want?" Edward asked me as he grabbed a tray and joined the lunch line.

"Um, whatever," I mumbled, distracted by the fact that he had never let go of my hand. What did this mean? Did he actually _like_ me, too? Or was he just being nice because he felt guilty about before?

He frowned slightly, then turned back to the food, grabbing a few random things, then tugging me along behind him as he found a table.

I frowned, looking across the cafeteria to his family, then looking down at him as he took a seat. "Why aren't we sitting with your family?" I asked as I sat down across from him.

"I wanted to talk to you," he said softly, watching me. "Is that okay?"

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and looked down at the table when I replied. "Um, yeah… That's fine," I mumbled.

I looked up as the tray of food was pushed in front of me. "Aren't you going to eat?" I asked as I realized he hadn't kept anything for himself.

"No," he said calmly. He smiled. "How do you like your room so far?" he asked.

I frowned at the obvious subject change, but answered anyway. "It's very nice. I can't believe you guys went to so much trouble just for me. You really shouldn't have." I could feel the blush rising again. I shoveled a bite of what I think was supposed to be chili into my mouth as a distraction. When I swallowed, I looked up to see him smiling an amused smile.

"That's Alice," he said calmly. "She tends to go overboard sometimes, but her heart is in the right place. You get used to it." He shrugged and grinned. Then suddenly, he froze.

"What's wrong?" I asked, watching as his eyes shifted to look at something behind me. I looked up too, and gasped out loud. It was that boy! The one I saw last night from Edward's window.

"Mind if I interrupt?" the boy said as he glared at Edward. I jumped as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

Edward jumped up, his chair scraping loudly across the floor before tumbling over behind him. Several students sitting nearby went quiet and turned to see what was going on.

"Actually, Alexander, I do," Edward replied in low hiss. "Leave."

I stared at Edward, shocked and a little afraid. The look on his face reminded me too much of the look he gave me my first day of school.

Alexander narrowed his eyes at Edward, then looked at me. "Will you come with me for a moment, please? I need to speak with you."

Edward growled. "No," he said before I had time to reply. "She will not be going anywhere with you."

I stared between the two before saying, "Edward? What's going on?"

"It's nothing, Bella," he said, never taking his eyes off Alexander. "Come on. We'll be late for class." He reached over and took my hand, but Alexander tightened his hold on my shoulder.

"No," he said softly. "Not until I say what I came here to say." He turned to me then, and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "You don't want to hang out with _him_ or anyone in his _family_. They're all dangerous. You _will _get hurt if you don't listen to me." He pulled away and turned back to Edward. "I'm watching you," he said darkly.

Edward's eyes were dark, fury blazing in their depths as he watched Alexander back away, not turning around until he was out the cafeteria door.

Edward closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then looked down at me worriedly. "Are you okay, Bella?" he asked softly, coming around to crouch next to me.

I stared into his eyes, seeing nothing but concern. "Yes," I replied. "I'm fine. What was that about?"

Edward sighed and stood up. "That's something I can't tell you, yet," he added as I started to protest. "Soon, Bella." The bell rang, ending lunch period. "Come on, let's get to class." He took my hand and pulled me to my feet, then grabbed my tray. After dumping the tray and leaving it, he walked me to my next class.

"I'll see you soon," he said, staring into my eyes a moment before dropping my hand and walking away. I watched him go, then headed into class.

).O.(

The rest of the day dragged by slowly. I couldn't concentrate on the lectures. Instead, I replayed the conversation between Edward and Alexander over and over in my head, dissecting it, trying to figure out what I was missing. What could Edward possibly do to make the boy believe Edward was dangerous? That he could hurt me? For I knew that's what he'd meant by his little speech. He was trying to tell me that Edward would hurt me.

I jumped when the bell rang, signaling the end of school for the day. I started to gather up my books when I felt a hand land on my shoulder. I turned to see Mike Newton grinning at me. I groaned internally, while plastering a fake smile on my face.

"Hey, Bella!" Mike said enthusiastically.

"Hi, Mike," I replied, grabbing the rest of my books and knocking his hand off my arm in the process. "What's up?"

"Well," he started, suddenly turning bright red and staring at the floor. I groaned silently again. "I was wondering, you know, since you're back and all… Well, I was wondering if you'd like to, um, go out to dinner? With me? You know, just to celebrate… maybe?" He glanced up at me.

I sighed. "Sorry, Mike. I already have plans tonight…" It wasn't really a lie. I had plans with Edward. He just didn't know that yet…

Mike's face fell. "Oh," he said. He frowned and added, "What are you doing?"

"I'm helping her with her homework," Edward's voice came from beside me. I jumped and turned to stare at him. "Ready to go, Bella?" he asked, taking my hand and smiling at Mike. "We should get going, you have two months of homework to catch up on, plus everything you were given today." He took my books in his free arm and tugged me gently toward the door.

Happy for the reason to leave, I let the homework comment go. For now. "See you later, Mike," I said, sending him a small smile. Then I headed out the door with Edward.

We met up with Alice and Jasper in the parking lot. They slid into the backseat while Edward held the passenger door open for me. Soon we were on our way back to the Cullen house.

"Bella," Alice said from the back, bouncing slightly in her seat.

I turned to look at her. "What is it, Alice?" I asked, watching her warily. I had no idea what she could be so excited about.

"I was wondering, would you want to go out to dinner with me tonight?" She pushed out her bottom lip and opened her eyes wide.

I frowned. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward frown at her in the rear view mirror. "Um, why?" I asked, glancing between the two of them.

"Well, I thought that after the last couple of months, you'd like a night out," she said, ignoring Edward completely. "I know you have a lot of homework stuff to catch up on, but really, you're so far behind anyway, what's one more day?"

I stared at her, surprised and shocked. I frowned, trying to come up with a reason not to go, but then realized that a nice dinner_ did _sound nice. It had been months since I'd been able to eat good food. "Just dinner?" I asked her, glaring at her bouncing form suspiciously.

"Promise!" she said, crossing her heart. I let out a sigh. She started bouncing even more. "Where do you want to go, Bella?" she asked, smiling at me brightly.

I smiled back. Her happiness was contagious. I opened my mouth to tell her to pick when Edward cut me off. "Um , Alice…"

"Yes, Edward?" She turned an innocent smile at him, and I was suddenly suspicious again.

I watched as he gave her a pointed look, and her smile disappeared as she stared back at him. His eyes widened a tiny bit, then he nodded ever so slightly before smiling and saying, "Don't overdo it. Bella's not use to your… exuberance."

I stared between the two, positive I'd missed something again. I sighed and turned to stare out the passenger window. I needed to keep a notebook and pen with me, that way I could write down all my questions as I thought of them.

We pulled into the driveway, and Alice bounded out of the car before it had even fully stopped. "Come on, Bella! We have to go get ready!"

I stared at her a moment through the window before the door was gone, and Alice was grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the car. "Hey!" I said as my books fell all over the ground. I pulled my arm from her and bent down to pick them up, but Edward was already there. He smiled at me when I came level to his face.

"Just go along with her, Bella," he said softly, leaning over to whisper in my ear. I shivered slightly as his breath tickled along my neck. "It'll be much easier, I promise."

I nodded, unable to speak at the moment, and he grinned his wonderful lopsided grin at me. He stood up, pulling me with him. "I'll take your books to your room," he said. He glanced over at something behind me, and I turned automatically. Alice was standing there, grinning at us. The blood rushed into my cheeks, and her grin widened.

"Come on, Bella," she said again, pulling on my arm more gently. "We need to leave in an hour, and we have so much to do to get ready."

"Uh, what do we have to do?" I asked, reluctantly allowing her to pull me along.

"We have to change, I need to do your hair and your make-up-"

"What?" I squeaked, staring at her in shock. "I thought we were just going to dinner?"

Alice let out a dramatic sigh and said, "You never know what will happen, Bella. You have to be prepared at all times. Now come on. We've only got fifty-seven minutes left to get ready."

I stared at her, confused, but followed her to her room. Edward had said it would be easier to just go along with her, so I sighed and resigned myself to the fact that for the next hour, I would be a human sized Barbie doll. I watched with silent apprehension as the door clicked shut.

).O.(

"No, I am _not_ wearing that, Alice," I said forcefully, backing away from the little red _thing_ she was holding in front of me. "I let you paint my face, I let you give me a headache with the hair pulling and twisting, but I _refuse_ to wear that scrap of cloth." I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at the offending piece of material in distaste.

Alice let out a deep, heartbreaking sigh, staring at me with eyes too wide and lips to pouty to ignore. "Please, Bella?" she whimpered in a soft, defeated voice.

"Fine," I growled, snatching the _dress _out of her hands and stalking off to the bathroom to change. I heard Alice's happy squeal behind me before I slammed the door shut.

I glared at the closed door for a moment, then sighed as I looked at the dress. I stripped down quickly, taking care of my hair and make-up, then squirmed my way into the dress.

I was pleasantly surprised to see it was longer than it had originally looked, and it covered my top better than I had expected. The back was scooped down lower than I liked, but strings connect the two sides together so it couldn't fall down and expose me.

I glanced at myself in the mirror, then stared in shock at the person staring back at me. Wow. It looked like me, but not me at the same time. The eyes staring back at me belonged to a bold, sophisticated woman.

"Bella?" Alice's voice was muffled as she called from the other side of the door. "Bella, are you done yet?"

I took a deep breath, then opened the door. Alice stepped back quickly, as if she'd been leaning against the door. Then her eyes widened as she took me in from head to foot. I stared in amusement as she slowly started bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Wow, Bella, you look…" She waved her hands around her in an attempt to snatch the right word right out of the air. "Sexy!" She grinned at me excitedly. "Let's go!" she said, and with that, she pushed me out the door.

).O.(

So there it is. Chapter 7. Next chapter:

"What?" I screeched. "No. No way. I cannot dance, Alice. I've never been able to dance. I will _never_ be able to dance. I am way too much of a klutz to dance. Please don't make me dance…!" I whimpered as she pushed her bottom lip out and widened her eyes.

(grin) Please review!! I love your reviews! They make me all soft inside. :D

Goodnight, and Happy Thanksgiving!!


	8. Chapter 8

Hey everyone. I'm so sorry for the long delay in updating this. My computer crashed, and it ended up needing a new harddrive, so it was in the shop for awhile.

I am having a very hard time with this story, and I think I've decided to take it down. The OC is just too hard to write in, I don't really have an idea for how to resolve this and merge it back into the original story line, and I lost the few pages I had of the next chapter when the computer crashed…

*sigh* If anyone really really wants me to keep working on it, I will try, but I can't guarantee it'll be my best work. Let me know by Friday the 16th if you want me to try. Otherwise it's coming down. So sorry to those of you that liked it. Forgive me? And read my other stuff?

On an up note, I have a new story idea, and the outline is finished, so I know I can complete this one. :D The prologue is in the works now, so keep an eye out for it. It's going to be called **Pretend Love**.

Until the next update!


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